THE 2012 BREEDERS’ CUP

The 2012 Breeders' Cup lived up to its billing as Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious global event with an international cross section of runners and winners bred or raced in Canada, Europe, Asia, South America, as well as in the U.S.

Breeders’ Cup Friday began with Hightail wining in the Juvenile Sprint, and giving the most successful Breeders’ Cup trainer of all time, D. Wayne Lukas, his 18th race Breeders’ Cup triumph. Another record-breaker came in the next race when the 9-year-old Calidoscopio won the 1 ¾ mile Marathon and become the oldest horse, and the first one from Argentina, to win a Breeders’ Cup race. Jockey Mike Smith passed another milestone in the Ladies’ Classic. Not only did Smith pilot the 4-year-old filly Royal Delta to her second consecutive victory in the race, Smith’s score made him the leading Breeders’ Cup jockey of all time with 16 wins.

On Saturday, trainer Todd Pletcher saddled Shanghai Bobby to victory in the Juvenile and the 2-year-old championship, but it would be Kentucky horses and Kentucky horsemen who took center stage for most of this day. Louisville native Dale Romans sent out Little Mike in the 1 1/2 mile Turf to stay near the front, which jockey Ramon Dominguez followed perfectly as they prevailing by a half-length at 16-1. Buff Bradley trained Groupie Doll to victory in the Filly & Mare Sprint, and in one of the most dominant performances of the day, the gelding Wise Dan, trained by Charlie Lopresti, beat a top flight international field in the Breeders’ Cup Mile striding home 1 ½ lengths in front of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Wise Dan would later be voted Horse of the Year.

The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic closed out the Breeders’ Cup 29 in primetime for most of the nation with high drama as Whitney Stakes winner Fort Larned and Woodward winner Mucho Macho Man battled to the wire of North America’s richest race. Fort Larned prevailed by a half-length under jockey Brian Hernandez, who celebrated his 27th birthday in style.